"Don't get me wrong," Leane said, her voice softening. "I love Elias. But I hate being set up like that. I hate being used. And I want her to pay for what she did."
Yu Xi nodded, gaze steady, voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "I won't disappoint."
***
Jian Ci finally managed to peel himself away from the mother-daughter duo with a smile so polished it could have been carved from marble.
"I really appreciate the invitation," he said, bowing his head slightly, "but we already have plans as a family tonight."
Alarna's eyes sparkled with the last dregs of hope. She said, "We could always join you—"
"Unfortunately," Jian Ci cut in gently, "it's a private gathering. Just us siblings and a few close friends."
